


Kingpin

by locusdesperatus



Series: Kalmia [8]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Men Crying, Post-Resident Evil 6, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27180415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/locusdesperatus/pseuds/locusdesperatus
Summary: Leon comes home.Toby wasn't expecting him to.This is an AU of an AU and can be read stand-alone.
Relationships: Leon S. Kennedy/Original Character(s), Leon S. Kennedy/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Kalmia [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1746616
Kudos: 6





	Kingpin

The door felt solid and heavy under his hands, something familiar and tangible to shake him from the shell-shocked daze that was fogging up his brain. He trudged inside, fingers automatically sliding backwards to find the locks. They didn't make it much farther than that. Something whooshed through the air beside him, and he ducked, swinging around to face the darkness of the entryway. A fist narrowly avoided his face, and he swung back, snarling when the attack was blocked. 

He was exhausted, he was hungry, his hair was greasy, and he just wanted to see his boyfriend, not deal with some asshole breaking into his house and-

They swung again, and he grabbed their arm, throwing them into the wall. Something clattered to the ground beside them, but he paid it no mind, ducking his head and charging them. His shoulder met their stomach with a satisfying _oof!_ Grabbing at each other, they wrestled to the floor, knocking over a coat rack along the way. Leon grunted when something hard- their knee, probably- knocked against his ribs. That would leave another bruise. Or another layer of them, anyway. He was pretty sure his entire body was bruised at this point. In retaliation, he threw all of his weight into them, grabbing struggling wrists and pinning them to the ground.

As he sat up, the street light outside dashed across his face, momentarily blinding him.

"Leon?" 

"Toby?" He reached over, feeling soft facial features. Anger rose up in his chest unbidden. He could've killed him. Didn't he realise how paranoid he was coming back from a mission? "What the hell are you doing? I could've-"

He didn't get a chance to finish. Toby shoved him onto his back, pinning him to the floor. A flashlight clicked on, making Leon hiss at the strain on his eyes. 

"What is your problem?" He barked.

"Hold still. Open your eyes." Toby ordered. "Leon, I'm not fucking around, show me your eyes." 

Almost like a reflex, he forced his eyes open. The tone of his boyfriend's voice told him that something was wrong, this wasn't a joke. Toby had moved the light so it wasn't completely blinding him, but he still had to fight off a wince. 

"It's me." He whispered. "I promise. It's just me." 

One of those callused, gentle hands that he loved so much fit itself up against his cheek, tilting his head back and forth. He didn't know what Toby was looking for, but he really hoped that he passed the test. Had word about the chrysalid clones already made its way through the DSO? He'd gotten home from Lanshiang three days ago and been immediately herded into a quarantine cell. He hated those things, hated sitting around, bored out of his skull and writing about all the fucked up shit he'd run into. 

Toby stood up abruptly, flipping on the overhead light. He looked disheveled. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair a mess. The stubble on his cheeks looked unkempt and untrimmed, like he hadn't showered in a few days. His eyes were dull, too, like existing just _hurt_. Leon knew that feeling. 

"What's wrong?" He asked, standing up slowly. His posture softened as tears suddenly poured over Toby's cheeks, and he didn't fight off a big, warm hug. "Tell me what's wrong, baby." He murmured. 

"They told me you were dead." Toby sobbed out, squeezing him as tight as he dared. "They said that you were killed while trying to flee the Tall Oaks attack, that if an infected didn't get you, then the purge definitely did and-" 

"What?" Leon pulled back, cupping his boyfriend's cheeks. He used the sleeves of the old, ratty Stratcom sweatshirt he was wearing to wipe away tears. "They- who told you?" 

"There- there was-" Toby wiped his own face after a moment. "A whole thing, they knocked on the door and everything, and I- and Hunnigan was unreachable. Half the DSO was uprooted because of the President, and-"

"Oh my god." Leon shook his head. "I'm so sorry." He leaned in for a gentle kiss. "I'm right here, I'm okay. Security Advisor Simmons framed me for killing Adam, and I had to fake my death so-"

"So they wouldn't arrest you." Toby finished. He laughed, though it was a bit hollow. "Shit. Do you think… do you think Simmons had them tell me so quickly on purpose?" 

Leon's eyes widened. He hadn't even considered that. It was still difficult for him to wrap his head around it all.

"You really thought I was dead?" He asked. The slow nod he got in response, one that was fighting back more tears, broke his heart. He pushed their foreheads together. "I don't know what I would have done if our places had been swapped. C'mon, let's go take a hot bath and then cuddle up on the couch. I want to be with you." 

"That sounds good." Toby sighed. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. The Pentagon sent out a memo about… clones, or some bullshit, and it said to check for light reflecting off of the person's retina. If it bounces back, like a cat's does, then it's a clone. And they said you weren't coming home, but here you are…. So I just assumed-"

"It's okay." Leon soothed, running his fingers over prickly stubble. "Hush, baby, it's alright. You didn't hurt me. I'm still your lovable idiot, unfortunately. I don't think you can trade me in for an upgrade."

"I wouldn't want to." Toby whispered before kissing him. "I like this version too much." 

"Hm." Leon smiled, running his hand over rumpled clothes. "Let's get these off. I think we could both use a makeover." 

"Is 'grieving widower' not a good look on me?" Toby teased, following him into the master bedroom. When they'd decided to rent a house together, they'd specifically looked for one with a big tub. Some of their most intimate moments happened while they were bathing together, soft declarations of their love whispered between sweeping touches and flushed skin.

Leon shed his clothes like they were a second skin, sighing as he settled into the cold ceramic. Toby chuckled, taking in the view while he turned on the faucet. He was good at getting it to just the right temperature. Diverting his attention away from his lounging boyfriend, he reached into the cabinet beside the tub, picking out a treat he'd gotten on his way home a few weeks ago.

"Is that a bath bomb?" Leon reached for it as he sat up, making room for Toby to settle behind him. He always demanded to be held and coddled when they were together, and bath time was no different. 

"Mhm." Toby pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it onto the floor. His boxers were next, his thumbs catching in the hem. "It's the CBD infused kind. We don't have to use it if you don't want to, but I think it'll help with the bruises." He inclined his head, eyes lingering on the way his boyfriend's whole left side was purple and black. "People are gonna think that I abuse you." 

Leon laughed, despite himself. He giggled at the absurdity, curling against the side of the tub as the bubbling hysterics made him weak. It wasn't until Toby managed to get in and pull him back against warm skin that he calmed down, admittedly a little delirious. The dopey smile that was stuck on his face earned him several kisses, ones he leaned into. Unceremoniously, he dumped the bath bomb into the water, letting it dissolve. Even if the CBD somehow managed to make it into his bloodstream, what were they gonna do, fire him? 

"I love you." He mumbled, wrapping his arms around Toby's shoulders. "I love you so much." He rocked himself back and forth, all the exhaustion and trauma from the last few days finally catching up to him. He'd stayed strong for Helena while they were in quarantine- she reminded him too much of his younger self- but now, at his most vulnerable, it was all starting to seep out.

"I love you too, sugar." Toby kissed him gently, cradling his head with one hand. "Just relax, baby doll, I've got you." 

Bless him. He was so good at reading body language, so good at picking out all the twitchy, guarded mechanisms that Leon had been using to cope before they had started dating. Some of them were less than healthy, and Toby was continually pushing him to stay on the right track. It was difficult for Leon to put into words how much that meant to him, so he settled for nuzzling as close as he could and trailing his fingers over the soft planes of Toby's shoulders. 

"Do you want to tell me about it?" 

Leon stilled, his brain working overtime to weigh the pros and cons of speaking up. Eventually, he managed to convince himself that no matter what he said, Toby would listen. He was like that, quiet and comforting as you spilled your guts out in front of him. 

"I… I went to the college where they were holding the banquet, and- and as I was going through security, people started to panic. I thought maybe there was a bomb scare, but no." Leon nestled closer. "They gassed the campus with a new type of virus. It was so fast, I didn't even have time to… I don't know." He looked down at his hands, open blisters stinging from the soap in the water. "Do something, I guess. All I could think about was Adam. I got there as quickly as I could, but I was too late. There was this girl, a CIA agent. Helena Harper. She was there, watching him- watching Adam rip into this guy's throat and I couldn't-"

Leon went silent, shutting his mouth abruptly. It was like his insides were solidifying, freezing up his lungs. He didn't dare try to speak.

"Oh, sugar." Toby murmured, running his fingers through soft, blond hair. "I'm so sorry. He was a good man, a damn good one."

"He kept-" Leon's voice wobbled dangerously. "Kept asking when we were getting married so he could clear his schedule. And I shot him in the head." He broke down, sobbing quietly.

"Hey." Toby cooed. "He wouldn't have wanted to continue on like that. You did the right thing."

"After he met you," Leon continued on as if he hadn't heard. "he kept telling me how lucky I was to have someone who loved me so unconditionally, and he was right. He was always right. He taught me so much, he cared so much. It-"

"Leon." Toby shushed him. "It's alright. You didn't kill him. You only shortened his suffering, okay? If he was infected, then he was already gone."

"But the cure-"

"Would never have made it to him in time to save him. You allowed him to rest peacefully. No one can blame you for that." Toby pressed a kiss to Leon's head. "We'll miss him, and it'll be hard, but you did what you had to. From what I heard, Simmons was already planning on blowing the place to kingdom come."

"I know." Leon couldn't shake the memory, his own pained shout of "Adam!" ringing in his ears. He took a quick breath to calm himself. "They dropped the bombs just as we made it out of the catacombs." 

"Who in the what now?" Toby asked.

"Helena convinced me to go to the cathedral, she said there was some evidence there. And, I guess there was. But we killed a whole lot of people to get to it."

"People that would have survived the purge?"

"No." Leon admitted. "But that would've been better than the death we gave them." He stared at the wall, far away in the fog of his mind. Screeching echoed in his ears, blue gas swimming in front of his eyes as he disassociated more and more. The kick of his gun, the musty, moldy smell that the monster gave off, Helena shouting orders at civilians-

"Le, come back to me." Toby was talking to him, his voice low and steady. "Tell me about the evidence." 

"Ada." He said. "Simmons developed the virus so that he could clone her. There was a tape of the… the birthing process. But that wasn't all. There were hundreds of failures, hundreds that didn't work. They'd been experimented on and left to die, and they were pissed. Every time I turned around, I-" he shuddered, nestling closer until Toby squeezed him tightly. "They were everywhere. And then I jumped down… down a garbage chute. And we ended up in these catacombs. It was a whole crypt full of Simmons' dead ancestors, full of The Family's dead patrons. There were _so many_." 

"Jesus." Toby breathed. "That's some Indiana Jones shit."

"I know." Leon couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle. He relaxed for a moment, soaking up the warmth of the water and his boyfriend, content to be held and have doting fingers trace indecipherable patterns on his back.

"What else?" Toby asked. He picked up the baby pink loofah that sat on the edge of the tub. Leon had teased him for buying it, but after giving it a try, he had to admit that it was amazing. It felt good now, too, when it was gently rubbed into the sore muscles of his shoulders.

"It turned out that Simmons had taken Helena's sister, Deborah, and infected her. We tried to save her, but she was too far gone and she attacked us. The mutations were something else, even more crazy than the Plagas. It's not something I'll forget anytime soon." He sighed softly, closing his eyes as Toby washed his back. 

"And then?"

"Giant fish." He mumbled. "We had to… swim underwater, and it was fucking cold, because it always is, and Helena got grabbed by this giant fish thing. Luckily it pulled us towards an exit, because I'd be damned if I had any clue where we were going. We ended up in a lake, just in time to watch the bombs drop. It was a miracle that my earpiece still worked. Hunnigan got in contact and let us know where Simmons was headed- Lanshiang- and agreed to mark us as KIA." He took a deep breath, leaning in closer. Toby gently tilted his head to the side in order to wash his neck.

"That's only half the story." He said. "Obviously, Simmons is dead. Were you the one to kill him?"

"Yeah." Leon nodded. "I watched- he was morphing into all these… horrible mockeries of creatures, and the last one- this huge, disgusting fly- I embedded a lightning rod into him and the shock threw him off of a rooftop. From what I heard, he was impaled on a statue in the courtyard below." 

"Damn." Toby shook his head. He picked up some soap, lathering it between his hands. "What happened to your side?"

"Heh." Leon let his head fall against Toby's shoulder. "I crashed a plane."

"What?"

"We took a passenger jet to Lanshiang, but it was sabotaged. There was another one of the monsters that Helena and I fought in the chapel, this big, screeching thing that leaked clouds of the virus." He shuddered. "It kept trying to grab us, trying to pull us in. One time, it caught me and shoved its tongue down my throat-" He had to stop to keep from gagging at the memory. Toby didn't say anything, holding him close and letting him get it all out.

"Helena managed to stop it, but, god, it- it scared me so bad." Leon reached up, wiping his face. "I kept thinking about- about what would happen if it killed me. How Simmons would win, and I'd never see you again. It's what made me keep going. I had to take control of the plane and I'd never- I had no clue what I was doing." He let out a noise, a mix between a laugh and a choked sob. "Hunnigan was directing me, but I was so scared. We crashed in the middle of a cargo bay. I must've gotten tossed around the cabin, I'm not sure exactly what happened. I just remember Helena trying to wake me up. We didn't get a break, though, of course not."

"Before you keep going, you got this checked out, right?" Toby asked, rubbing soap into heavily bruised skin with an incredible amount of gentleness. 

"Yeah. I was in quarantine for two days, they did a full exam on me." Leon reassured him. He couldn't help but relax at the touches, at the way his body began to unwind beneath soapy fingers. "I saw Sherry. We fought off this enormous thing together, a monster that had been chasing them. Every time we turned a corner, there was something else to fight. I was so tired. More than anything, I wanted to come home." He shivered, pressing up against Toby's chest. "There was more- this new mutation, one that could reattach limbs and couldn't really be killed. I hated it. The hands- they kept crawling on me." His whole body shivered. "Kept grabbing me. Then there was Ada. And not-Ada. Chris was trying to find her. It was such a mess. By the end of it, I think I ended up chasing Simmons halfway across the city. Crashed a helicopter, too, while trying to get to him."

"Baby doll, I think you need a break from driving for a while." Toby teased gently. "Don't worry, I'll take care of you."

"I'm not that bad-"

"Mmph." Toby shook his head, cutting him off with a lazy kiss. "I've seen you on the road, sugar. It's dangerous."

"You just found out that I'm not dead and you're already being mean to me." Leon complained. He shivered when the loofah returned to his back, scrubbing away all the soap there. The water was beginning to get cold, urging them to hurry and move their cuddling elsewhere.

"I know, I'm terrible to you." Toby teased. "Dunk your head under so I can get your hair."

Leon obeyed, scrubbing his fingers through messy locks. He sat up, blinking away the last of the water just in time to see his boyfriend dump shampoo into his palm. The intimacy of having someone else wash his hair was something he never thought he'd learn to crave, but after a month or two of separation due to their inconsistent schedules, letting Toby touch him so boldly felt amazing. If he allowed himself to go limp, he had no doubt that he would fall asleep then and there.

"All done." 

A quick kiss brought him out of his thoughts. Toby got out of the tub, ignoring the pouty look thrown his way.

"Go on, I'm just gonna grab some clean clothes." He promised. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he headed out of the room. Leon dunked his head back under, working the shampoo out. He could feel the looseness in his limbs, his muscles soothed by the chemicals in the water. It was something he could definitely get used to.

After pulling up the drain, he climbed out of the water and towelled off, shivering from the chilly air. Toby returned with soft pajamas and clean boxers, setting them on the counter before winking and giving him a moment of privacy. He was up to something, Leon just couldn't tell what. He had to be careful getting dressed, his injured side aching viciously as he bent and twisted. Being hindered like that always made him grumpy, and he couldn't help the little scowl on his face as he made his way out to the bedroom.

"When was the last time you ate?" Toby asked. 

"Dunno." Leon shrugged. He wasn't bothered with food, more concerned with curling up in bed with his favorite life-sized teddy bear. 

"Well, I put the blanket in the dryer to heat it up a little bit, so you might as well eat something while we wait." 

"Fine." Leon grumbled. He stubbornly wound their fingers together as they trudged to the kitchen. Sitting down on a barstool, he let Toby make him a bowl of cereal and some toast. 

"Did anything else happen that you want to talk about?" 

"No." Leon took a bite of Special K, crunching thoughtfully. "Just… I'm still trying to process it all."

"I bet." Toby came over, kissing him on the forehead. "I'm glad you're safe. I've been an absolute wreck for the last couple days." 

"I didn't think they'd send notice so quickly, I'm sorry." 

"Don't be. You're here now, that's what matters. Eat up, sugar." 

Leon took another bite obediently, watching Toby move over to the sink. He began working on some dishes that had piled up, humming softly as he did so. The little moments like this- soft times, where they could simmer down and just be two men in love- drove their relationship. Leon had once vowed that he would slog through miles and miles of viscera for the chance to give Toby the spontaneous dates and cutesy couple things that he deserved, only to be met with an equally as daring promise from his partner. 

"Don't lie to me," Toby's voice still rang in his ears. "You'd get bored of making out in the back of movie theatres eventually." 

He smiled, taking another bite of cereal. That was true, but it would take a good, long while.

"Tomorrow, can we go on a date?" He asked. "We haven't had one in a really long time.

"Absolutely." Toby said, turning his head. "Just tell me where you want to go."

"I'm thinking breakfast at the diner down the street, a walk in the park," Leon paused to shovel more food into his mouth. "maybe go to the aquarium, then lunch at the sandwich shop downtown. Then we should probably come home because I'll want dessert." He waggled his eyebrows, making Toby laugh wholeheartedly. The dryer beeped, interrupting them.

"Sounds like a plan, sugar." He set the plate he was drying in the dish drain before coming over for a kiss. "Finish up, then come to bed."

Leon gave an _mhm_ of agreement, picking up his bowl so he could drink down the milk in the bottom. It stained his upper lip, but he couldn't be bothered to wipe it away until he finished the last of his toast. Deciding to play nice, he rinsed out his dishes before heading towards the bedroom. Toby was stretched out on the bed, the blanket pooled around his waist. The lamp on the bedside table bathed him in yellow light, soft and subtle. Leon felt drawn in by the coziness of it, climbing under the blanket and resting his head on Toby's chest. He knew he was going to fall asleep within minutes, accelerated by the warmth of the blanket and the protective arm around his shoulders. 

Toby's other hand graced his cheek, dragging through overgrown stubble. Checking, making doubly, triply sure that he was still here, still breathing, still safe. Going through the trauma of being told your partner was dead had definitely taken a little bit of a toll. The extra-sweet, extra-touchy affection was proof of that.

Leon would have done the same thing, he wasn't ashamed to admit it. Sleepily, he nuzzled into the shirt Toby was wearing.

"I'm okay. Promise." He mumbled. 

"I'll hold you to it." Toby kissed the top of his head before leaning back into his pillow. He turned off the bedside lamp, darkening the room and leaving them surrounded by their thoughts. For once, they weren't as heavy, not suffocating them with the knowledge that their happiness was fragile. There were still funerals to attend, reports to write, therapists to see, and friends to mourn, but Leon could rest easy for just one night. As long as he could come home to Toby, he had a little flicker of joy left to hold onto. 

His breathing slowed as he drifted off, lulled by the sound of his boyfriend's heart beating steadily beneath him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! You can find me on Twitter @pointofdespair


End file.
